Library Committees
Events and Public Programming Steering Committee
Mission
In support of the Library’s commitment to cultivating community, this committee will coordinate Yale Library’s major events and public programs for maximum reach and impact for our many audiences.
Objectives
- Guide development of a coordinated approach for organizing major public programs and events across Yale Library.
- Develop and oversee a unified, internal Library calendar of events to facilitate planning and coordination.
- Review and approve proposals for major events and public programs to ensure maximum participation and promotion.
- Ensure event hosts are aware of guidelines and standards for event promotion, design and graphics, promotion, catering, and other event logistics.
- Identify resources for supporting event production (e.g. A/V needs, catering, publicity, etc.) to assist event hosts in producing a successful event.
- Develop process for fast-tracking some event proposals to ensure the Library may take advantage of great opportunities.
- Generate themes to inspire event development and to unify events across library repositories and units.
- Gather and review analytics about events and audiences on a quarterly basis.
- Assess the need for this committee and any improvements to the process on an annual basis.
Justification
As the number of public programs grows across the Yale Library, we must coordinate their planning so that units do not inadvertently schedule events that compete with each other for audience attendance and staff participation. This committee will help Yale Library plan and schedule events strategically to reach intended audiences more effectively. The committee will support event hosts in the planning and execution of events to ensure consistently high quality, successful Library events.
Scope
Major events typically include:
- An expected attendance of more than 25 members of the campus community, general public, donors, or visiting scholars
- A featured speaker and/or welcome by a senior library staff member
- Require support from three or more library staff members
- An invitation sent to an invitation list
Major events may also:
- Be in person or virtual
- Be on campus or off campus
- Be advertised on the Yale Library’s and Yale’s event calendar
- Include catering and other expenses (e.g., overtime)
- Require closing library spaces to the public
- Be initiated or requested by someone outside of the Library for an event in Library spaces
Status
Steering group within Yale Library.
Term
Ongoing membership by virtue of position or appointed representative for terms of two years each
Sponsor
- Barbara Rockenbach, University Librarian
- Michelle Light, AUL for Special Collections
- Lauren Di Monte, AUL for Research and Learning
Members
- Michael Morand, Director of Community Engagement, Beinecke Library (co-chair)
- Anna Arays, Librarian for Slavic & East European Studies Department of Area Studies and Humanities Research Support (DASHRS) (co-chair)
- Lucy Mulroney, Director for Collections, Research, and Education, Beinecke Library (member)
- Christina Woodford, Library Gift Officer (member)
- Patricia Carey, Director of Communications (member)
- Sara Machowski, Senior Executive Assistant (member)
- Dana Haugh, Web Services Librarian and Coordinator of Marketing & Communication, Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library (member)
- Kelly Blanchat, Undergraduate Teaching and Outreach Librarian, Bass Library (member)
- Genevieve Coyle, Assistant Head, Reading Room Operations, Beinecke Library (member)
- Jen Castellon, Events Coordinator (consultant)
- Allison Van Rhee, Senior Administrative Assistant (administrative support for the committee)
Meeting, Reporting, and Communication
- Bi-monthly meetings at outset to develop guidelines, calendar, and proposal and decision-making process.
- Review and approval of event proposals may take place over email.
- Conversations and work will not be confidential, unless by explicit agreement of the committee members.
- Meeting minutes and event proposals (when appropriate) will be available on the Yale Library SharePoint site.
- The committee’s co-chairs report quarterly to the sponsors.
- Sponsors will review the charge and committee membership on an annual basis.
Decision-making
- The group functions as a steering committee, making decisions about policies, procedures, and opportunities library wide in conjunction with the sponsor.
- Decision-making will ideally occur by consensus, where possible, as reflected in a vote. Otherwise, majority vote among quorum (3/4 of members) will be used.